Last updated: May 6, 2026.
OwningCost is built around a strong privacy posture: most of what happens on the site happens locally in your browser, and we collect very little. This page explains what we do collect, what we don't, and how to reach us about it.
What runs in your browser, not on a server
Every calculator on OwningCost — fifteen of them, including the True Monthly Cost calculator, Affordability calculator, FHA vs Conventional comparison, Listing Reality Check, and all others — runs entirely in your browser. The numbers you type as inputs are processed by JavaScript on your device. Nothing you enter into a calculator is transmitted to any server, ours or anyone else's.
This means: when you enter your income, your debts, your home price, your down payment, or any other input, that data does not leave your device. We don't see it, we don't store it, we don't send it to advertisers, lenders, or analytics providers. The calculator output you see is also computed and rendered locally — there is no round-trip to our servers.
What we do collect (server logs)
Our hosting provider records standard server access logs: IP address, user-agent string, the URL requested, the timestamp, and the HTTP referrer. These logs are used to detect abuse (denial-of-service attempts, scraping bots) and to count traffic in aggregate (how many people visited a page on a given day). We retain these logs for up to 90 days and then they are deleted.
Analytics
We use a privacy-respecting analytics setup that records page-view counts, traffic sources (which site sent you), and aggregate device categories (mobile vs desktop). The analytics provider does not set cross-site tracking cookies and does not build a user profile that follows you across the web. We do not share analytics data with advertisers or any third party.
Cookies
We use minimal first-party cookies only when strictly necessary — for example, to remember a preference you set during a session. We do not use cookies to track you across other websites. We do not use third-party advertising cookies.
What we do not do
- We do not run advertising on the site, and we do not display third-party ads. Your visit is not monetized through ad impressions.
- We do not capture leads. There is no form on the site that, when submitted, sends your information to a lender, brokerage, or any other commercial party.
- We do not sell or share user data with third parties for marketing purposes.
- We do not have an affiliate relationship with mortgage originators, real-estate brokerages, or insurance carriers — and we don't pass you to them in exchange for a referral fee.
- We do not build behavioral profiles of users for retargeting.
Email contact
If you email us at hello@owningcost.com or use the contact form, we receive your email address and the content of your message. We use this only to respond to your inquiry and to maintain a record of correspondence. We do not add email addresses to a marketing list.
Children's privacy
OwningCost is not intended for children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect any personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has submitted information through the contact form, please email us and we will delete it.
Your rights
If you are in the European Union, the United Kingdom, California, or another jurisdiction with data-subject rights, you have the right to request access to any personal information we hold about you, to request deletion, and to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority. Because we collect very little, most requests will return very little — but the rights apply, and we honor them. Contact us at hello@owningcost.com to make a request.
Changes to this policy
We update this policy when our practices change. The "last updated" date at the top of the page reflects the most recent revision. Substantive changes will be noted in a changelog on this page or announced on the homepage.
Contact
Questions about this policy: hello@owningcost.com or the contact page.